Kenya secondary schools made a strong statement on day one of the Federation of East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Association (FEASSSA) rugby competition in Kakamega, bagging crucial opening wins across both the rugby 15s and 7s formats.
In the boys’ 15s, National champions Vihiga High showed grit to edge Uganda’s Namilyango College 20-15 in a tense, physical battle at the bull ring grounds, Kisii School followed a dominant 34-12 victory over Kings College Budo, while Upper Hill survived a late scare to beat Jinja SS 26-19 in another tight contest.
The girls’ 7s produced mixed fortunes for Kenya. East Africa defending champions St Joseph’s Kitale were stunned 7-0 by Jinja SS in a cagey opener, but Kinale Girls roared to life with a 43-7 win over compatriots St Theresa’s, Rose Waithera’s Hatrick, Joyce Waithera and Elizabeth Naliaka’s brace propelled Kinale to secure the wine.
Paul Harris School added to Kenya’s tally, edging Uganda’s Nkoma SS 15-12 in a nail-biting finish.
In the boys’ 7s, it was all fireworks from the Kenyan teams, National champions Koyonzo sent a warning shot to the rest of the field with a 52-0 thrashing of Makerere College, while Bwake Boys were equally ruthless, dismantling St Mary’s Kisubi 49-0.
The early results set the tone for what promises to be a thrilling week of rugby, with Kenyan sides looking to defend their dominance on home soil while Ugandan powerhouses aim to fight back in the coming rounds set for Monday.
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